Pilot program will offer pre-tax bus passes to UH employees

HONOLULU — Beginning May 1 through June 15, 2007, University of Hawaiʻi faculty and staff will have the opportunity to sign up for the pre-tax bus pass program that aims to save tax dollars as well as relieve traffic and free up additional parking spaces for commuting students.

Under the pilot program, eligible university employees living and working on Oʻahu will be given the option to purchase monthly bus passes through payroll deduction on a pre-tax basis. A single monthly payroll deduction will be made before federal, state and FICA taxes are withheld, saving employees money on their taxes.

To participate in the program, employees must meet the following criteria: be eligible to participate in the State of Hawaiʻi Employees‘ Retirement System, live and work on Oʻahu and do not have parking in a university-controlled lot with a payroll deduction.

"We‘re very pleased to implement this pilot program and offer it to our UH faculty and staff," said Sam Callejo, Vice President for Administration. "With many direct bus routes passing through the UH campuses, this new option is a win-win situation all around, especially in helping to lessen the traffic issue on Oʻahu."

In addition to this new program, the university also participates in the U-Pass program sponsored by TheBus and the City & County of Honolulu, which offers a reduced rate bus pass for Oʻahu college students. Under the plan, UH students with valid identification cards receive a 50 percent discounted pass good for an entire semester.

At the conclusion of the one-year state pilot program, expansion of the program to the neighbor islands will be determined.

UH employees interested in signing up for the pre-tax bus pass pilot program should submit an enrollment form to your Personnel Officer by June 15, 2007 for an August 2007 bus pass. For more information and to obtain an enrollment form, contact your Personnel Officer or visit the Office of Human Resources website at www.hawaii.edu/ohr/docs/benefits.htm.